The National Motor Museum is set to leave Beaulieu, with trustees confirming a search has begun for a new home. The museum has been located in its New Forest base since its inception back in 1972 by Edward, 3rd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu.
The museum is one of the biggest attractions in the area, with previous data showing that over 310,000 walked through the doors in 2025. The site holds more than 270 vehicles, with a whopping 1.9 million items in their collection.
Lease nearing conclusion
The National Motor Museum Trust explained that the decision to look for a new home comes as their 60-year lease at Beaulieu nears its conclusion.
A trustee statement read: “The National Motor Museum Trust has today announced that it has begun the process of identifying a transformational new home for the National Motor Museum as its current lease at Beaulieu approaches the end of its 60-year term.
"This marks the next stage in the Trust’s long-term strategy to secure the future of the National Motor Museum. This strategy is focussed on reimagining and reinvigorating the Museum, engaging with new generations of motoring enthusiasts and diverse communities, while developing and preserving the Designated collection for generations to come.”
Future plans and impact
The Trust has explained that it will begin exploring potential locations capable of supporting its long-term ambitions. No potential sites for a relocated museum have so far been revealed.
The Museum hopes to greatly expand its work in learning and community engagement and has a vision to develop a training centre to host heritage engineering apprenticeships. However, they stressed that visitors to the Beaulieu museum would see no change at this stage.
Robert MacGregor, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the National Motor Museum Trust said: “We are sad that the National Motor Museum will be leaving Beaulieu but are at the same time very excited about this once in a generation opportunity to transform the Museum for the future. We want to thank the Montagu family for founding the Trust in 1970 and for their continued support as the Museum finds a new home and embarks on the next stage of its journey.
“A new home can refresh our whole approach, enable us to make the collection more accessible, expand our educational and community impact, and ensure Britain’s motoring story remains relevant.”
